Still A Beast
by Fae 206
Summary: On the night Adam has been transformed from the beast, he finds that there is still a lot of guilt he has and people who do not forgive him for the past. Will he be able to escape the beast he remains as psychologically? Will the town be able to accept him as Belle did and will Maurice forgive him for his transgressions? Lots of Adam/Belle romance. Based on Animated Movie.
1. Chapter 1

**Still A Beast**

**Chapter One**

After the castle had returned, bringing back people who had been servants there where some of them didn't have families within the castle and their own families had believed them to be dead, there was a huge mix of emotions. Although Adam had stood in front of all of them with plenty of apologies the decided murmur through the hallways was that Adam had been an eleven-year-old child who was often abandoned by the king and queen and without that type of love had become selfish and rude and self-involved but still, he shouldn't be answering the door himself.

His mother and father had been expected to return that day but had left word that it would be another week until their return. When he had heard the doorbell, he had ran to it but seen someone hideous and with the anger that a child would naturally have when their parents made them feel unwanted had projected those thoughts onto someone else.

It had been Cogsworth as head of house who was supposed to take responsibility. It was the king and queen who had left him alone, unable to love him who were most responsible for not leading with unconditional love and yet everyone blamed Adam. Adam had been given a picture of who he would have become to mock him, it was the future shown to him if he hadn't acted so ugly. A cruel trick by one who shared that beauty.

"I understand that you all deserve to have your own lives and I want to help each of you in connecting with your families. I take responsibility for what has happened," Adam told them as he stood in front of all of them. They had all fought that night against humans and they had all taken on their past appearances. "If you no longer wish to remain in the castle then I want to make sure that you have safe travel no matter what the cost. If you _do_ wish to stay, you have my deep gratitude for your loyalty."

Belle put a hand to Adam's chest. She knew that despite his now human appearance, he had been stabbed quite violently and she had no idea if the wound was gone for good or if it would reappear.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she pushed her face into his chest, "I should have…I should have figured things out…I'm so sorry," she apologized and Adam shook his head. He wrapped her up in his arms before standing there showing a new, humble side to him. A dozen of the servants left but the majority of them stayed – much to his surprise.

Adam looked over his shoulder at two of his staff members who were closer than family. "Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, please ensure safe travel and a fair settlement to be gifted to those who have resigned. If they need places to stay, please find them lodgings."

"Of course, sire" Mrs. Potts said and Adam reached out to her, he put his hand gently on her upper arm and shook his head.

"Adam," he whispered and she smiled, happy that he was embracing the person whom he had always been.

"Please feel free to take the evening off. If there is anyone who needs to be treated then please," he looked to a young man who had been the castle's medical professional, "allow them to be treated. I am so grateful that you chose to protect this castle," he told them before going into the west wing with Belle. She led him to the bed where he felt it was too big and the groove in which he had slept was too big for him. Belle walked over to the magic portrait and put her hand over it, spreading her fingers as she should have realized that this was how he truly looked.

"Belle, you don't _have _to be here," he told her as he groaned, lying onto his back but rolling into the area that he had used to occupy. He felt so small and human in this room now, it was so different and he didn't feel steady on his feet without his tail giving him balance.

"I am here because I love you," she told him as she brushed his hair back. The rain had really soaked him through but he had spent more time caring about others and feeling guilty for his mistakes to take care of himself. "I'll light a fire," she told him and his eyes went to the glass dome where the rose used to be. It was no longer there which meant that that part of his life was over.

There was the sound of a carriage pulling up and Adam looked at her. She gently let her hand rest against his cheek. He was gorgeous and although she cared more about his love than his looks, this type of foreign beauty wasn't beyond her notice. He appeared more glamorous even than Gaston had been. Gaston's death would be a problem but hopefully there had been others who had seen his fall.

"Go," Adam whispered. "You asked for someone to bring your father here. I am sure that's him and I'm sure that he doesn't want to see me," he laughed weakly and Belle kissed his cheek. She grabbed a warm towel before placing it over his forehead. She kissed him again before leaving and going down the hallway. As she left, she saw Cogsworth there and went to him.

"Hello, my fair lady," the former clock said and Belle smiled.

"Hello, my friend," she replied and Cogsworth's expression softened. "Would you mind tending to Adam in my absence. I am not sure of the extent of his wounds but he appears rather exhausted. My father has just arrived and I need to make sure that both of them are okay."

"Of course," Cogsworth nodded as he went to the west wing to check in on the once-again-human prince.

Belle took a look back and then went to the front doors. She wrapped her arms around Maurice as she saw him getting out by the gate. "It's…it's good," she smiled to him and he studied her carefully. Belle smiled weakly. "He survived. It's a miracle."

"The way that this place looks is the real miracle," Maurice commented, "an enchantment…one that is broken by the love shared between two people, remarkable," he said before turning to Belle. "However, I don't think that you're thinking clearly Belle, by entering into another contract with that beast," he worried and Belle was surprised as she went into the castle and saw Adam at the top of the staircase, his face pale. "He abused you, didn't he? Stockholm Syndrome?"

"He trapped me here, yes, but he allowed me to have fun and to make friends and discover a place in which I could be myself. I know that he has his faults but Papa, I love him, he makes me feel proud to be myself," Belle said and looked up at him.

Maurice turned his gaze to the stairs and then looked at Belle quickly before shifting his gaze again. He turned to Belle and saw the loving way in which she was gazing at him. So, the hideous beast had been this handsome man underneath…well, looks didn't have anything to do with the kindness within someone's heart.

Adam slowly and carefully descended the stairs before stopping and getting onto one knee, bowing before Maurice as a man would kneel before he became a lord. He took slow breaths, ready for the rejection. "I know that no words, no apology can make up for what I have done. I have been selfish and angry and that is no reason to have acted so cruelly. I deeply ask for your forgiveness or at least for your consideration of forgiveness."

Maurice blinked at the man of royalty who was treating him as a superior.

"Adam," Belle worried, "You've been through battle and transformation. You'll strain yourself. You need some rest. I believed that you were going to take some rest," she said as she knelt beside him. She put her hand to the back of his neck and felt the high fever. "Papa, he needs some rest."

"I…I…oh, oh yes," Maurice nodded. "I want to forgive you for my daughter's sake. She truly loves you and I was intruding. I very much hope that I can learn to forgive," Maurice told him. "You should stand up. My daughter is my treasure and she needs for you to rest. I am sure that anything requiring an explanation can be dealt with later in the day if not tomorrow."

Adam stood shakily and Cogsworth rushed to catch him before he collapsed.

"Sire, please remain in the bed this time," Cogsworth chided him and Belle grinned as she saw him being led back to his own room.

Belle turned to her father. "He kept me here but it was only in the beginning that I felt his prisoner. There is so much joy here that I found it hard to leave. Adam wants you to live here with us as well," Maurice looked at her, Belle didn't seem to be in any harm and she had chosen to come back here. He had to believe that she would have come back here anyway and returned to him.

It would take some time to wrap his mind around this, wrap his mind around how someone so attractive and handsome could have become lost beneath all of that ugliness and anger.

**End of Chapter One**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Changing some of the background info to fit with my own ideas. Thank you for reading

**Chapter Two**

Everyone in the castle seemed to be rejoicing with one another, telling their own versions of what had happened that night and eating food and drinking wine. They seemed to look upon her as their savior though she truly had not known what she had been doing. She went into the kitchen and saw numerous dishes. She grabbed a plate and put some of the grey stuff on as well as other items, on a smaller plate she put some things as well and then got them into a tray with a dome covering. She picked up some silverware and went into the west wing where Adam had fallen asleep.

Belle watched him, seeing the subtle rise and fall of his chest from under his torn white shirt and she sat on the corner of the bed, her fingers running through his hair that was bordering on blond. She heard him wake a little and turn to her, his blue eyes focusing on her.

"You came back," he said and Belle kissed his forehead. "I still…."

"Adam," Belle told him as she saw Adam take a look at his hands and feet. It was probably in his mind that his body was more of an animal's. "It's okay. It's okay," she tried to assure him. "I brought you some food. They're celebrating in the banquet room just as you desired," she said and he tried to sit up but his body was under strain.

"May I be with you?" Belle asked and once Adam had nodded, she got into the bed on the other side. Maybe it was improper to share a bed but she wanted him safe. She could be a more modern woman if she desired to be and she desired to sleep next to him.

"It's hard," he told her before shaking his head. "Sorry, I don't want to ruin your night more than I already have. Your father…is he recovering? Should I try to get outside help for his sickness?" he asked and Belle placed her hand on his arm. She shook her head as she gazed up at him. He seemed to be having even more anxiety as a human as he had when he was a beast. She was trying to relearn all of his angles and the subtle nuances in his gestures and expressions.

"My father is doing better, thank you," Belle tried to assure him and saw Adam reach for the plate before nervously reaching for the silverware. As he picked up a spoon in his hand, he studied it carefully. It had been a very long time since his body had done this. He had lived a life different than the one that everyone else did. He balanced the spoon in his hand before digging into the food, surprised at how his body just fell into doing it again.

Belle put her hand on his after he had placed the spoon down and he gently placed his hand upon hers. This was _his_ hand, this was a hand which a man had, the ideal prince. He shook his head, closing his eyes and bowing his head. He was happy. He was happy that the curse was broken. He no longer had to be considered an animal but in his mind it felt that he was pretending.

"Adam?" she asked after she saw how silent he was. "What's wrong?"

"It's just been a very long time," Adam told her and Belle nodded slowly, "I feel as if I am trapped between forms. I still feel like the other me," he said and Belle sighed. She felt that it would take years before he would fully be able to feel comfortable being human. He had been a young boy and had spent ten years as a different species. As human as he had felt over the past long years, the truth was that he hadn't been seen that way by others and had not seen himself in that manner.

"I'm sure you'll become accustomed to it," Belle tried to remind him, she sat up so that she could kiss his cheek and he smiled. "It's still strange for _me _to see you in this form. I love you though, whether you look like this or whether you look the way you did. You're the first man I've ever loved and I want for you to be the last as well."

Adam tried to laugh at that. He often heard stories about love breaking and dying and disappearing and he wanted to turn himself into the type of man whom Belle would want to stay with forever with no doubts about leaving. He wanted to treasure her and make sure she was happy and he knew that meant trusting her and giving her her own freedom and independence.

Belle reached for her own plate and ate a little of that as well. She couldn't believe that just hours ago she was in her father's house being trapped in the basement and now, here she was with Adam as a human in the transformed castle that had once again become a thing of beauty.

"Are you…" Adam dared to ask the question from that night, "Are you happy here?"

Belle nodded and bowed her head, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

…

….

Belle was sleeping quite contently in Adam's bed that night but as she opened her eyes, she found that he was no longer there. She sat up and looked around for him but he had left her there. Blinking in surprise, Belle wandered out of the room and down the west wing. She couldn't see him. She looked to one of the kitchen servants. "Hi," she said quickly, "Do you know where -"

"The Master is in the library," the servant said and Belle thanked him. She knew that Adam had learned to read quite recently and it was an activity that the two of them enjoyed together but he tended to ask before he used the room that he had gifted her as her personal sanctuary. She made her way over there, tying the robe she was wearing.

She saw Adam as she entered, he was wearing another white shirt and semi-formal pants. He was looking between some of the books on monarchies through the ages and she looked at him, watching him. "Whare you doing?" she laughed and he froze. She smiled as she saw that self-doubting and insecure look of the beast on Adam's human face.

"I didn't mean to intrude," he told her as he grabbed a pile of books on good leadership skills and the success of monarchies on the morale of the citizens." He climbed down, jumping a few steps and landing. "Felt like I could do that better before," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck and Belle turned her head to the side, studying him before laughing gently.

"Let me see what you got," she said and Adam opened his arms so she could take the books. He had just started to educate himself because she knew that he had lost the point of living for quite some time, these might require her help to read but she was interested in any kind of books. "I think that you're going to be able to be the ruler that you want to be," she told him. She was still surprised that a village girl like her could end up falling in love with a prince and having a prince fall in love with her.

"Let's hope," he chuckled. "I should try to repay my debt to society. I want to try to have peace in the communities and that's going to be hard to do. I'll have advisers of course but the more that I know myself, the easier it will be to listen to council and to make the future that I want to give to others," he told her and Belle gently caressed his cheek with a smile.

"I'll help you with it," she said and then looked away, "I was quite an outcast in the village. If we do -"

"You're an outcast?" he laughed before raising his eyebrow and Belle smiled with a nod. Despite her being a town oddity, Adam was a literal beast who had been trapped in a castle since he was a young boy. He had been seen as a creature from another world or…he would have been were people actually to have seen him. Belle kissed his cheek before leading him to a place where they could sit together.

As they looked through the books again, there was a knock on the door and they turned back to see Cogsworth there, he watched the two of them and Adam stood, Belle placing her hand on his back. "I have news that the king and queen have been alerted to the news from the village. I also believe that they know about the transformation back and they are to be here next week."

Adam's eyes widened at this and he approached Cogsworth slowly, he held up a hand as he felt his breaths grow shallow. He knew that this was their property despite them giving it to him. He knew that they could kick him out of it and leave him and Belle out in the cold. He also knew that they couldn't have loved him in that state and probably never had. He looked back at Belle before trying to steady himself.

"Please try to minimize my interaction with them as much as possible. Of course give them the royal welcome but…"

"I feel that in this time, your parents will want to see you. They haven't seen you in almost -"

"Almost ten years," Adam said as he heard his mother screaming as he tried to speak to them, tried to ask for their help. He could hear them leaving him and planning to never return. He could remember that neither his mother or father assured him that they loved him or that he was even their child once they had seen him in that form. "I will, of course, see them but please try to minimize my interaction with them as much as possible."

"Adam, these are your -"

"They already told me that I am no longer a son to them," Adam interrupted before shaking his head. "Thank you for telling me," he said and Belle saw the heartbreak on Adam's face. She could imagine the torture of not having his parents at his side. "They proved that they didn't want me, they might have never wanted me."

**End of Chapter Two**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

**Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter One**

Lady in Black, LoveShipper


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **Huge plot twist in this chapter. The beast psychology will appear in dreams and flashbacks. I hope you enjoy this, I'm excited about the possibilities that the twist opens up.

**Chapter Three**

_Adam grinned as he followed his educator to the front of the castle where his mother was getting dressed to return back to the capital. Adam would usually be left alone at this time but he had servants who would stay with him. He had often seen his mother order them around and they treated him in the same way they would treat her. The seven year old held a book close to his chest as the educator went to talk with the queen._

"_It's amazing how fast a learner Adam is," the man told her and the queen rolled her eyes. "Not only his academics but he has very strong perception to the world around him, with good training he'll be skilled beyond his years."_

"_Just make him skilled enough to be a prince, to not lead this family to its disgrace," the queen said with barely a look to either of them. She went to a mirror on the wall and touched up her look. Adam turned to the scholar and then stepped forward boldly._

"_Mother, I was able to read this whole book," the young boy said and the queen raised an eyebrow. She took the book from him. _

"_Jack the Giant Killer?" the queen scoffed, "What trivial material is this!? Adam needs to be given a true education with tax reform, history of the monarchy, how to look elegant and regal especially in front of the commoners. I don't want him being given this silly stuff, the king would be even more displeased were he to know that this was part of your education."_

"_I just thought that since reading is a fairly undiscover-" the educator said and the queen turned to him with a rather sharp glare. _

"_Make sure that he reads something beneficial next time," the queen said as she looked at Adam as if he had just given her a very offensive gift. She turned away from him and Adam stood there with pain in his eyes. _

"_Have a safe tri-" he said to his mother but she wasn't listening and closed the door on him without even a goodbye. Adam looked at the educator who turned to him very sadly. "Please leave me alone," he told her before going off to hide in a special spot. Reading was stupid anyway. He didn't need to learn how to read. _

…..

…..

From the time when he was younger, Adam hadn't felt any joy when it had come to reading. He had once been impressed by his skill in being praised by the educator but it was painful that his parents were so dismissive of it. Belle had been the one who had sparked joy in him again by helping him relearn the words. He had felt a bit embarrassed when she had helped him but now reading with her was something that brought him joy.

As he looked out of the window, Belle came to join him with a book. She reached out to take his hand, noting how it felt now that he was back to his human form. "Is something wrong?" she asked him and he bowed his head.

"How could anything be wrong?" he asked her, "We're together. I'm no longer covered in fur. How could anything be wrong?"

"Your expression says otherwise," Belle noted and Adam froze. He attempted to smile through his own pain but there was still the glimmer in his eyes. "I'm sure that this will only be a short trip. I was actually hoping for some advice on how to impress your parents," she said as she leaned in and Adam laughed.

"You're asking the wrong person. I have _never_ made a good impression on my parents. I could never measure up to who they wanted me to be especially these past years. My father was debating on killing me like the beast that I appeared," he said before pushing his hair back. "No. I can't let myself fall into that type of anger," he told Belle who hesitated.

"It's okay to be angry," the girl insisted as she looked upon her prince. "It truly is okay to be angry, your emotions shouldn't be changed so easily, it takes time to heal but the important thing is that I understand that about you and I love you. We'll work on that together."

"You know how you helped me before," Adam said and Belle looked at him, she wasn't sure which time he was referring to. "With reading Romeo and Juliet?" he asked her and Belle nodded.

"I really enjoyed that. The people in the village didn't want to even know what the words meant. I mean, the simple words like recipes, store signs, sign posts, the important things, they knew but they weren't interested in novels or literature and then you had a lot of people who didn't want to read at all. I felt that we bonded over that," Belle smiled before kissing Adam's cheek. "Why are you asking about that though?"

"When I was younger, I loved those fairytales that focused on sword fights and defeating evil but I was told that I was wasting my time on them and that if I was to read, it would be about things that actually mattered. My tutor said that I was a strong reader but my mother didn't care. It didn't matter. Since it didn't matter to her, I lost my pride in it. My mother has been disappointed a lot in me but nothing was greater than the pain when she found me when I was twelve," he told her. Belle wrapped her arms around him lovingly.

"I'll be here for you though," the brunette promised him as she wrapped her arms around him and breathed him in. She just wanted to enjoy the idea of him being human despite having fallen for him when he was a beast.

"Belle," Adam sighed, "Will you continue to stay here, with me? Are you happy here?"

"Of course," Belle said as she pulled her chair closer to him. She closed her eyes and Adam wrapped his strong arms around her. Meeting with his parents again was going to be difficult for him but even if his parents were to throw him out onto the streets, he would have Belle with him. His princely status didn't matter so long as he had his love in his arms.

…

….

As the sun started to go down, Belle had gone to Phillippe and was petting him whilst talking to him. "I know that I'm happy here," she told him before sighing. "I'm happy with him but I don't know how happy he is. I wish I could know that. I wish that I could help hi-"

"So, you're the one?" a woman asked as she approached her before laughing. Belle turned and then saw the marks of the royal family on her clothes and dropped down into a low courtesy. "it's quite a shame. Since that curse was only supposed to be broken by true love, I had hoped that you would be ugly but in fact you're quite beautiful."

"Thank you," Belle said respectfully despite a pain in her chest. Why would she have to be ugly to be attracted to Adam. Yes, he hadn't exactly looked human before and he had been unwilling to tell her the name from his birth but she had fallen for his kindness, his protection, his compassion.

"You enjoy living here, don't you? Living in a castle? You'd hate to go back to the village and live in that poor provincial town even for a moment." The queen said judgmentally and Belle watched her nervously.

"I do," she nodded and the queen smiled to her with a calculating look.

"I'll allow you to stay here then," she said and Belle looked at her hopefully. Did this mean that the queen was comfortable with her relationship with Adam? Belle smiled in relief. With the way that Adam was speaking it seemed as if she would be highly judgmental and that she wouldn't approve of their union. She must have changed from the loss of her son, from his mistreatment. "Adam might be the eldest of my children but he is not my only son," she said and Belle paused.

She hadn't heard of Adam having a younger brother but then there were many parts of his life before turning into a beast that she wasn't aware of. Belle looked at the castle again but remained in her respectful position in front of the queen.

"You may stay here with _him_, marry _him_, and one day become a queen," the other woman said and Belle blinked confused. She tried to smile but the queen gestured for her to rise.

"I'm happy that you're agreeing to this," she said as she looked at the castle. "I mean, from the stories that I've hear-" she placed a hand over her mouth. She shouldn't be disrespectful to this ruler and she feared that she had. She wanted things to work with Adam and she wanted Adam to finally be able to be given the love that his parents had withheld from her for years.

"There will have to be many changes though. I mean, once one is banished from the castle, it's considered improper to keep the furnishings the same," the queen said and Belle looked at her confused before seeing a couple of guards that she hadn't seen before come out with Adam being restrained by them. Belle turned to him as he was thrown down onto the ground in front of her. "I mean, this man has brought shame to the royal family, to the kingdom."

Belle paused, the words went through her head again and she tried to rush forwards to him. She saw him panting before her eyes widened as she noticed that there was some kind of magical woman approaching him. He had served his time. He had broken the curse, he had found someone who he had fallen in love with and who fell in love with him.

"Adam," she whispered but was held back. She saw someone with an axe approach him and hold it over his neck. He wasn't going to be beheaded was he. "He hasn't done anything wrong," Belle tried to protect him as her eyes watered with tears. He wouldn't be murdered by his own family, right? Not under their order.

The enchantress approached him, whispering some words as she slipped her hand over his forehead and Belle could see the pain that he was enduring but she knew if she made a move towards him, it would mean his death. Suddenly there was a peaceful look on his face as well as some confusion and Belle could only hope that he had been cured of the pain. The axe was tossed aside and Belle rushed to him, unable to stop herself.

"You told me that you wanted to stay at the castle, didn't you?" the queen asked and Belle bit her top lip. She had meant that she wanted to stay with Adam. She gently touched his cheek, brushing her fingers against it but he looked at her in surprise.

"Who…who are you?" he asked and Belle stared at him. She looked to the queen. What had she done to him? Adam flinched as Belle touched his cheek and she nearly pulled away but saw those blue eyes staring at her. "Are you my wife?" he asked as the queen gasped, how could he remember that? He shouldn't be able to remember anything.

"Yes," Belle lied hoping that that was enough to make sure they stayed together. "Yes, I am."

**End of Chapter Three**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

**Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Two**

CoolKakashi, Lady in Black 22, LoveShipper


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Maybe it was wrong to lie to him but the way that his expression was – sickly, confused, scared – made it so that Belle felt more comfortable saying the lie to him. He had gone through so much, changed into someone who was kind and giving and stubborn, yes, but also he had sacrificed his future in order to allow her to get to her father. She had returned because she truly loves him. He had gone through so much and now he had his memory wiped and was having a hard time remembering any of it.

"Adam," Belle said as she touched his cheek and he kept his hand there. She smiled as she let her fingers go through his hair. He was stunning. Despite looking so weak and confused, that did nothing to stop him from being attractive. As weird as it was though, Belle would also have been attracted to the horns and the fur. "Adam, are you feeling oka-"

"Guards, see the intruder out," the queen ordered and Belle switched her glance to turn to the queen. Intruder? This was his home. This had been the place where he had been abandoned by his family and lived with his second family of guards and servants. She felt his temperature rise as if enduring a cold and the enchantress stepped forward.

"Allow me," she said and Belle's eyes widened fearfully. Who knew what this woman was capable of?

"Adam," Belle said softly, "It will be okay. It will all be okay," she tried to assure him but as the enchantresses magic wrapped around them, it appeared that not only Adam's body was disappearing but she was feeling sleepy as well. Without meaning to, she crashed down onto the ground, her eyes open enough to see that Adam was no longer there. She had to find him.

…

….

Belle awoke to Phillippe nudging her with his nose and she blinked, hearing the sound of sheep and chicken. She pushed herself up before turning weakly around. This was her home. This was the land which she had lived on before with her father, except there was that breakage right down the center of her heart. She had fallen in love and what was better, someone who wasn't the piggish Gaston had fallen in love with her. Now though, she didn't know where they had sent him or even if he existed.

"We're home," Belle repeated weakly as she stood up and saw her father standing there confused. "Papa," she said as she knelt in the dirt, not caring that this would dirty her appearance. "I don't know what happened."

"Neither do I," Maurice added quickly, "One moment I was in a castle and the next we're back home. Do you think that the prince changed his mind, he was that hideous bea-"

"Adam didn't do this," Belle replied feeling protective as she remembered how hut and confused he had been. He hadn't wanted this to happen but they had forced it upon him. Now she didn't even know if he was alive. It wasn't as if he knew who to contact or how to find her anyway if his memory was erased. Several tears slid down her cheeks but she tried to brush them away. "His mother did. Adam's memory has been erased. He wouldn't have been able to find me anyway."

"So, he doesn't remember anything?" Maurice asked wanting to double check, "Even you."

"He thinks that I'm his wife," Belle said but she couldn't keep the blush from warming her cheeks. After all of the things which he _had_ forgotten, he hadn't forgotten her, not completely. "I know that it's not true but it means that he hasn't forgotten me. I just want him to continue loving me."

"If he truly loves you, he'll find you," Maurice said as he came over to her and took her hands in his. Belle bowed her head and nodded. She needed to keep believing in his words and remain strong.

"Thank you," she whispered as she closed her eyes, trying to hold onto those words.

….

….

When Adam finally regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a gutter in an alleyway in some strange city. He tried to stretch before hearing the sound of bells, these were church bells? He opened his eyes as he looked ahead at a large cathedral. Notre Dame. He had read about it in a book somewhere, seen pictures, visited it as a child but nothing since then. He could only remember blurry images of his childhood but they all seemed to stop at the age of eleven. All he could remember since that time was Belle and how much he loved her.

He was in Paris. He was alone and cold in Paris wearing only a white shirt, shoes, and loose brown pants with a belt. His mind was still foggy. The only images there were of Belle and her smiling face and her eyes and how much he loved her. He would have to hold onto that strength for the moment.

"Monsieur?" a man asked as he approached him, "Are you okay? Are you sick?" he asked and Adam looked at him. He didn't recognize this face. He took a slow breath in and the man turned to him, seeming to look at him as if he were a homeless beggar. "Are you okay? Do you need assistance?" he asked and Adam looked at him as he pushed himself up and placed a hand on the stone wall to the side of him.

"I'm sorry," Adam said softly, "I don't…" he studied his hand, something felt strange about looking at his hand. Was there a scar on there? He could feel an injury but something bigger, warm, bloated, furry. Adam blinked again at his hand. Why was he feeling as if it should be the paw of an animal? That didn't make sense to him. "I don't remember anything."

"The poor house is around the corner," the man gestured. "They might be able to give you some food."

"Ye-Yeah," Adam replied still completely dazed.

"You really don't remember anything, do you?" the man said and Adam shook his head. "They might be able to help you there, young man like you might have people remember your face. If you weren't in this situation, you might do very well for yourself with those kinds of looks."

"These looks?" Adam repeated but shook his head and gave a short bow, "Thank you," he told him gratefully. "Thank you for all of your help, Monsieur." Adam watched the man leave. He was fairly young himself but his hands weren't smooth. They had been roughened by hard work. Adam froze as he saw a horse drawn carriage which the man hadn't appeared to see and his eyes widened as two young children rushed towards him. Hadn't they seen the horse?

Adam's eyes flashed to the coachman and the women who were riding in there. They hadn't seen the family. Without hesitation, Adam placed himself in the middle of the horse and the family, feeling the hooves knock him to the ground as the horse got up on its high legs feeling startled. He probably shouldn't have done that, the horse was still scared and he could feel the hooves on him and seeing that there was a space on the paved sidewalk, he managed to roll over underneath the horse and to somewhere safer.

He could hear the women's voices.

"He just saved that family. I didn't think those poor people cared about anything but beer and money."

"Is he breathing?"

"It doesn't matter if he's breathing or not. He's only a beggar. The world would be better off without them."

"He is handsome though,"

"Who cares if he's handsome. He's one of _them,_ he most likely is covered in flees. Driver, let's go on."

Adam could hear the horse ride continue without either the coachman or either of the women coming to him to check to see whether he was breathing or not. To them he was another throwaway person, just someone whom the world would be better off without.

Adam just needed to catch his breath, as long as he thought about Belle, he could get through this. Something inside of him though was telling him that this was an unusual action for him and he had never acted in a heroic way. Was he really some down on his luck drunk? He couldn't remember. If that was true then Belle was amazing to have stayed with him when she most likely had other suitors.

"Monsieur?" the man from before asked as he went to Adam and placed his fingers on his pulse. "There is a heartbeat," he seemed to tell someone and Adam forced his eyes open. He could see the way the other man was looking at him and looked around. There were people staring at him. "Monsieur, why did you do that? Why did you give your life for my own?"

Adam paused, feeling the fog in his mind again. "Your children," he said slowly as the man helped him to his feet. "Are your children all right?" he struggled and the man led him over to a bench, encouraging him to sit down.

"Yes, you used your own life to protect them. I am in your debt," the man said and then paused, he hummed before pacing, "Sir, do you know your own age?" he asked and Adam blinked in response.

Adam paused as he immediately answered before he even knew he remembered, "Ten years, it's been ten years…so twenty-one," he told him and the man hummed. Adam looked at his hand again, feeling disconnected from his body. Ten years from what? What happened to him ten years ago?

"It's not much but I am looking for an apprentice, your pay would be meager. I won't be able to pay you very much but there is an old barn in which you could take residence," the man commented and Adam blinked at him, what was he talking about? "I'm a carpenter but my workload has increased this past year. In return for you sacrificing your life for mine and my children's, I would like to try you out as an apprentice. Do you know anything about carpentry?"

Adam looked down, he hated the response he had to give, "I don't remember. Protection…I remember…I remember wolves?" he asked as more of a question than a statement. Did he remember? It was mainly black but he could remember something about protecting someone from something that vaguely resembled a wolf.

"Ah, well that explains your toned body. A hunter, I believe. Hunting and Carpentry are two different subjects but you need willpower and strength for each. As I said, the pay would be very li-"

"I accept," Adam replied before looking to the older man nervously. This man appeared in his early thirties, his son looked about ten years old and his daughter about seven. The age difference wasn't that much but why the man was offering him this job instead of his son was confusing. Had he really acted in a way which merited this?

"I'll show you to where you will be working," the man said before taking each child by the hand and leading Adam away from the area.

Adam looked down, he was still feeling the blackness of his lost memories spiraling around him but this man was offering him a place to stay and food and until he remembered his life, Adam would have to follow his lead. Adam looked down at the cobbled street. "Belle," he whispered as he turned his hand over, staring at it confused. "I will not stop searching for you until I find you."

**End of Chapter Four**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

**Thank you to **CoolKakashi **and **LoveShipper **for reviewing Chapter Three**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

After living in the castle for a long time, the idea of remaining in the town was something that made Belle pause. She had wanted to remain with Adam and now she was back to her old life as if nothing had changed. Well, fortunately one thing had changed. She now had a magic mirror which no one apart from her and her father knew about. She was certain that even Adam didn't remember its existence.

Belle gently picked it up from where she was safely keeping it and held it in her hands. It had been a couple of weeks since she had left the castle but she still hadn't discovered where he was or even if he had forgotten about her. It was a possibility.

"Show me Adam," she whispered as she lovingly held the item and saw Adam awake in the early morning already looking worn out, his hair was by his cheek despite most being tied back with a simple tie and he looked sweaty and hard at work. Most likely it was good for him to experience this after being a spoiled prince but she just wished she had more information about his whereabouts.

She sighed as she closed her eyes. She had thought that he would be selfish, spoiled, maybe a little angry but he didn't seem to be. It was as if he had accepted his fate. He wasn't causing harm or displeasure to those around him it seemed. He was supposed to go back to having the same personality as the prince before he became the beast. He seemed different though. He wasn't as harsh around the edges, he wasn't demanding that everything be done for him.

Belle froze as she heard wheels from a carriage and looked out the window. There was a carriage that someone who was wealthier than her and her father were but not as wealthy as the aristocracy was using. Brushing her dress down, Belle heard a knock on the door. She grabbed a coat – not wanting to be seen in her nightdress – and went to answer it. When she did so, a smile spread out so widely on her face and she dropped to her knees. "Chip!" she exclaimed before pulling the small boy in for a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"We left the castle," Chip tried to explain, "I wanted to come see you before but….but…Mama."

"You left the castle?" Belle asked concerned. That was their home as much as it was Adam's. "How are you? How's your mother? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for you to los-"

"Losing is nothing," another familiar voice could be heard and Belle rose to see Cogsworth getting out of the carriage. "We didn't lose anything, we left. Lodging was quite easy to find," he told her and Belle grinned, glad that she could be surrounded by her friends from the castle. "I was going to Paris. There is someone I need to talk to and I thought that it might do well for the young lad to be taken somewhere else. We were -"

"We were hoping that you could come," Chip said excitedly. "Do you want to?"

"Ye-Yes," Belle nodded excitedly, she turned towards the house. "Just let me get ready right away," she said. "Please make yourselves comfortable, I apologize that it's much more modest."

"Wow," Chip said as he came inside, "Your house is wonderful" he said and Belle smiled gratefully before getting prepared to join them on their trip. Cogsworth entered sadly and Chip looked at him, sitting on one of the chairs. "Well it _is_," he replied and the former clock nodded. He only hoped a visit to Paris would ease some of Belle's obvious pain.

"So, what are you two planning on doing when we get to Paris?" Belle asked after she had changed and packed a small bag for the day. She looked over to Chip, she delighted in seeing the curious young boy. This was what his childhood should have been like. Hopefully he hadn't missed too many years of his life being a teacup.

"I need to check in with someone about some wooden items, carpentry if you can believe it. I never expected some task like this, so lower class," he said and Belle coughed tilting her head to the side and looked around. She was trying to remind him that _she _was what one might consider a commoner. "Nothing is wrong with that at all," he said and Belle raised an eyebrow.

"Can you show me the bookstore?" Chip asked as he distracted Belle from what she was doing. The brunette grinned.

"I'd love to," she said. Maybe someone would be able to give her some information on Adam's whereabouts or she could ask if anyone had seen someone like him. She wasn't sure if bringing the mirror with her would work but she wanted to find him. Who knew how he was surviving without his memories, forced to live as the person he was always meant to become.

…

…

His hand went over a large mirror but as he pulled back, it wasn't a hand, there was some monster's paw with claws on it but the brown fur felt so familiar to his touch. Adam tapped on the wall, the paw moved in time with his intentions. He lifted his head and looked at his reflection before his eyes grew wider. He was some kind of animal, some type of villain from a fairytale. He could see a huge head, horns, brown fur, large teeth and yet it felt so familiar as if he had seen it before. He froze as he took a step back and it came together, the face, the paws, the tail sticking out from his butt, somehow this was him. Somehow he ha-

…

…

Adam sat up in the bed that the carpenter had provided for him and took shaky breaths. Since he had lost his memories, every single night he would have a nightmare that he had become some kind of beast through a physical transformation. He could feel the way his paws didn't feel like gloves on his hands, they were his actual hands. Somehow it felt so right but how could something like that feel….right?

He looked at his own hands and took slow breaths. These dreams might be trying to tell him something but he didn't know if he had been a beast before he had lost his memories. No. He was with Belle and Belle loved him, she wouldn't love something so hideous. He must have performed some cruelty, some devious action which was manifesting itself as a beast in his dreams symbolically but he had no idea what that was.

He stood up, grabbing a rag to get the sweat off of his face. He didn't want to show how fearful he was and how much this dream seemed to be an attack to him. He didn't quite understand it. He sighed as he heard a knock on the door of the small shed where he had enough room for his bed and to walk around, a small living area but his personal space.

"Hello there," the carpenter's wife, Amalie, said as she stood in front of the shed, she gasped in concern as she saw the young man before her. Somehow he appeared completely spooked. "Are you all right, Adam?" she asked and he nodded, pushing his hair back.

"Sorry, I'm…I'm okay. Is it time to start work. I really do apologize if I slep-" he said and Amalie tilted her head to the side whilst watching him.

"No, you didn't. Did you want to join us for breakfast, I made a little too much again," she tried to explain however Adam knew that she was doing this on purpose to try to feed him. "If you don't, it'll just go to the dogs. You've been doing really well here, you're a fast learner and a hard worker."

"I have a lot to be grateful for," he laughed before nodding. "Okay, I'll come and eat but I insist on helping clean up after breakfast. You've already given me more than I probably deserve," he said as he tried to ignore the dream.

What could he possibly have done that would cause him to having a dream like that? He sighed, it was best not to think on it too much. He went to eat breakfast with the family, smiling at the two children who had come to look at him like a distant and older cousin. Somehow, he didn't have a stable memory of growing up and he felt that he had been a rather spoiled kid. There had to be something which had changed that.

Figuring out that dream was going to be an exhausting task.

…

…

Since Adam still hadn't been able to shake the dream or the image of being a beast from his mind, Henri – the carpenter – had told him to take some smaller projects into town to give to the store merchants who had commissioned them and receive the payment. It would at least expose him to things that might allow his memory to repair. Tucking the received money into a small pouch, Adam smiled before stepping out into the center of the city.

He had found a charming bookstore recently and he did like to look around to see if he got inspired by any of them. He had tried to explain how he would be saving up for a book or two or three when he received his pay and women often wandered in to take a look at him. This day though, he had enough to purchase a book. A small extravagance but maybe it would replace those nightmares he was having.

Adam looked through the shelves before becoming drawn to one of the books. A leather bound collection of Romeo and Juliet. He smiled, feeling a deep connection with this book. He could remember Belle reading it with him. He somehow had the thought that this was the first book which he had ever truly loved. He reached out for it but found that someone else's hand was already touching it. He stepped backwards, taking his hands off the book.

"Go ahead," he said before the woman dropped the book on the ground. Adam looked to her and then at the book, "Let me get that for you," he said before picking it up but as he looked up at the woman who had dropped the book he froze, he smiled as their eyes connected. "Belle…" he whispered as she stared at him, her hands covering her mouth and tears in her eyes.

"I….how? I wanted to find you," Belle told him and Adam smiled to her.

"It's like the fates wanted us to find one another," Adam told her and Belle nodded as she tried to brush away the tears that were threatening to fall. He was okay. He was alive and okay. Maybe he had no idea who he was or about his life but they were together now. Everything would work out in the end. "I…I'm sorry I forgot my way home."

"I don't blame you, what happened was strange for all of us," Belle whispered before letting her fingers play with the strands of hair which weren't tied back at this moment. "It's okay. It's okay that we're -"

"I'm so happy to have found you," he told her as he let his fingers raise her chin and he kissed her passionately on the lips. This felt very familiar. Belle wrapped her arms around his upper shoulders and continued the kiss. Despite whoever he thought he was, he was still and always would be her prince.

**End of Chapter Five**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

**Thank you to **LoveShipper** for reviewing Chapter Four **


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